2020 Map of Cowlitz Falls

About this map

Lake Scanewa and the Cowlitz Falls power project dominate this mountainous portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The landscape is defined by the confluence of the Cowlitz River and the Cispus River, where the valley widens at Big Bottom before climbing into the high ridges of the Cascades. Named summits like Strawberry Mtn and Tumwater Peak surround the river basins, highlighting the extreme relief of the region. The map captures the infrastructure of the late twentieth-century hydroelectric development, showing the reservoir behind the falls alongside older landmarks like the Huffaker Bridge. Farther south, the terrain rises toward Goat Mountain and the headwaters of Quartz Cr, providing a detailed view of the forest service road networks and natural drainage patterns that have shaped this timber and recreation country for generations.